Messi earns $50 million per year, making him one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. The case involves both Messi and his father. Messi has said that the moving of income through shell companies was something he knew nothing about. Wood opines that the no-knowledge defense might hold up for Messi.

This case comes at an interesting time for several European companies and for the U.S. which has been battling with taxpayers with offshore income accounts. As Wood points out, anyone who signs a tax return “is signing under penalties of perjury,” and taxpayers are held to know what was going on whether they did or not.

Wood suggests that people like Messi deserve our understanding. Because of their positions in life, they are heavily dependent on teams of advisors to do the right thing and keep their clients out of trouble.

Wood explains that, notwithstanding bad advice, a taxpayer will be liable for unpaid taxes and interest. The bad advice defense comes in as to the question of penalties, mostly civil ones. The penalty is typically 25% and may be as much as 75%. And the tax case may involve criminal penalties, as was the case with Wesley Snipes.